







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Erm, by the way, since we are on the subject... | |
| Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom. | |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | |
| What do you think about him, Cate? | |
| Bear hates being at a vet, too. | |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | |
| But I don't know him well. | |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | |
| Oh no! Are you sure you don't have anything available? | |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
| Do you want to bet on it? | |
| I have an appointment with the home office for my visa extension. | |
| Why don't you answer your phone? | |
| What kind of music do you like the most? | |
| Yeah, I'll have a beer, I guess you want wine, Cate? | |
| Okay, here we are, this is Honeybrook Street. | |
| It's like, the bus you are waiting for never comes. | |
| Sorry Mrs. Jones, there is a misunderstanding... | |
| Good point, I'm sure they don't pay that much! | |
| Sure, our kitchen is newly refurbished... | |